Welcome to 2025. It’s time to blow a few lyrical and musical thought bubbles and get the grey matter moving. How is thought expressed in song? Is it an inner speech? Is it through the fingers? All this and more with much to think about, here ….
Read morePlaylists: songs about or featuring national anthems
Music in the air …
Take a world trip from standup straight to unusual traditionals, or distorted version radicals, alternative interpretations to parodies, as well as new lyrical angles, guest Severin creates a truly global selection from last week’s Olympic-inspired topic
Read morePlaylists: songs featuring finger-clicking, toe-tapping and foot-stomping
The fabulous Nicholas Brothers
Foot stomping and clogging to the click of fingers, flamenco and castanets, these playlists, picked by guest Marco den Ouden from last week’s topic, take a tour of the world from Canada to Mexico, Spain to Japan, with music that’s right on tap
Read moreMicrophone closeness? Songs featuring crooners
Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse. But how many crooners are there in this photo?
This week it’s time to to get close to the microphone explore the evolution of crooning in the full range, the style, the technique, the good, bad and ugly, emotive, intimate and excellent, the creative, the cosy, and the cringeworthy, the sensitive and sentimental
Read morePlaylists: songs about physical gestures
Sound waves and beyond …
Pointing, clapping, nodding, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, high fives and much more, there’s no end to the lyrical gesticulation on offer signalled from last week’s topic by guest playlister Loud Atlas, whose presentation and choices should attract a salute and long applause
Read morePlaylists: songs about orgasms
Horn of plenty: Rosalía
Yes! Yes! Yes! After days of non-stop, multiple orgasmic musical nominations, it’s time to have a cigarette, sit back and relax as guest of the week magicman presents more than pleasurable playlists that reach even more climaxes …
Read morePlaylists: songs about judges and trials
Judgement has arrived: scales played and gavel struck
The musical evidence has been weighed up, the scales balanced, and the verdict has arrived. Guest judge Lord Justice Nicko has made his full summary, and after forensic deliberations, has made supremely tasteful and sound judgement from last week’s submissions
Read morePlaylists: songs about heartbreak
Otis Redding - cut down in his prime
Relationship breakdown, devastating loneliness to shocking bereavement, from a huge response to last week’s topic, it’s all here in a set of supremely powerful playlists picked by guest magicman, where despite all the sorrow, the music brings release
Read morePlaylists: songs to start the morning
Time to wake …
Songs to get your up and motivated, or songs that are also about the morning? Don’t be alarmed, it’s all covered in this special two-parter, picked by guest of the week DiscoMonster from a huge dawn chorus of nominations from the past week
Read morePlaylists: songs about social mobility
Class reflections: Mighty Mo Rodgers
It’s a life of ups and downs, hopes and dreams. From financial ambition to border immigration, breaking the rules to criticising status quo fools, this week’s playlists, picked from a big crowd of nominations by guest Suzi, are truly classy
Read morePlaylists: slow, intimate, sexy love songs
How deep is it? The Bee Gees have the answer
Silky and smoochy, whether it’s the last dance or something more, from soul to pop, French chanson to lovers’ rock, this week’s lists, picked skilfully from a huge choice by guest pejepeine, are all about seduction at a slower pace
Read moreMove closer: slow, intimate, sexy love songs
Marvin is on …
They might range from the cheesiest, mirror-ball last dance, to the most intimate, close-to-the-mic moments of music history. But this week, while raising the heartbeat, we’re going slow in pace and minimal in sound. Let’s get it on …
Read morePlaylists: songs about being stubborn and ignoring advice
There’s no dictating to Pauline Murray from Penetration …
An impressive collection of tough cookies feature in this week’s lineup of artists ready to take no nonsense from anybody, covering the full spectrum obstinacy, from soul to punk and beyond, picked by discerning ear of guest Maki
Read moreI'll do it my way: songs about being stubborn and ignoring advice
Captain Beefheart. Not exactly a shrinking wallflower in the obstinacy stakes
Stupid or inspired? Annoying obstinacy, obduracy, inflexibility and bullheadedness, or admirable persistence, pertinacity, tenacity and indomitability? It can go both ways, but how might it shape up in song lyrics?
Read moreGet on up: songs about or inspiring motivation
Some people have no time to sit …
New Year resolutions, revelations or revolutions? Whether it’s from or for love, money, survival, fear, self-respect or more, let’s open 2020 with songs that may motivate, but ideally also tell us where that comes from
Read morePlaylists: songs about charisma
Aimee Mann
What is charisma? Allow yourself to be pulled into the magnetic force of this week’s playlists, designed to fit on the C90 cassette. Variously profound and beautiful, they are chosen by guest ajostu from last week’s many nominations
Read morePlaylists: songs about collecting, cataloguing and listing
Cat-alogue of course …
1) Why do them? 2) What are they for? 3) Are they positive or negative? 4) How do they appear in song? This set of questions and more are creatively catalogued and crafted into playlists by this week’s skilful guest Severin from the recent topic
Read moreTell my wife I love her so: songs containing indirect messages
Hound of love? Indirect delivery
Through a third party, on scribbled letters left, sent or hidden, on answering machines or other means, even via prayer, this week let's look at songs about communication to an individual sent via a roundabout route
Read moreThumbs up: catch songs about hitchhiking
Where to?
It’s time to give us all a lift, not only emotionally, but as Song Bar bus sets off on a road trip, picking up all sorts of musicians and other artists, in a quest to find for stories about hitching experiences – good, bad, scary or heartwarming
Read morePlaylists: songs about compromise
Dennis Brown … halfway up, halfway down
Love, relationships, work, politics. There are all sorts of compromises in life, but this this week everyone’s a winner, at least those who suggested or performed this brilliantly balanced set of songs chosen by our guest playlister severin
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